First pitched to James Cameron in 2003, and initially slated for a 2009 release, Alita: Battle Angel should have stayed on the back-burners were it has been hidden for so many years. Disappointment already being set up by the expectations created by it being Cameron’s first release as a writer and producer since his 2009 blockbuster Avatar, this comeback should have either not been publicised as a comeback or been pushed back even further to allow the publicity to be used for the long awaited Avatar sequels.
Alita: Battle Angel does not live up to Cameron’s name well enough to be his first major film in 10 years, due to a choppy and heavily sequel reliant script, that director Robert Rodriguez had to create from Cameron’s 186-page screenplay and 600 pages of notes. Hollywood’s reliance on an already confirmed sequel strikes again here, as it leaves the audience with a lack of answers, but also a lack of desire to go look for the answers in investing to see a sequel come to the big screen.
With a lot of visible storyline and aesthetic similarities to other cyberpunk movies such as Ghost In The Shell and Ready Player One, it is easy to tell how long this story has been locked away waiting to claw its way out. Now that it eventually has, it has not been updated enough to avoid such similarities which destroy the awe that this dystopian world could have had on an audience.
Wait There! It’s Not All Bad…
Despite all the problems that have already been pointed out, it is safe to say that Cameron’s visual excellency is still incorporated into the movie very well. Set in 2563 after a interplanetary war has left Earth devastated, Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) finds Alita, a disembodied cyborg figure, in the junkyard mountains that are created by the floating city of Zolem. After repairing her and introducing her to the world, she very quickly becomes acquainted with Hugo (Keean Johnson), the predictable love interest that automatically creates a snoozefest waiting to happen.
As she realises that she does not remember who she was before being found by Ido, Alita goes on a quest to discover who she was and to take down a deadly killer, Grewishka (Jackie Earle Haley). After discovering that he works for Nova (Edward Norton), the evil leader of Earth in the war known as “The Fall”, she becomes determined to win the motorball championships to gain the right to go to Zolem, the home of the highest of society, to take him down.
The creation of the visually stunning Iron City and floating Zolem is very well pulled off by Rodriguez and Cameron, and provides a scenery that very quickly can immerse the viewer into the world. Another high point of the visual aspects of the movie come within the action and battle scenes, which boast some spectacular shots which really do just look perfect, and are one of the only things that actually do engross the audience to feel any interest with what is happening in the story.
The nice touch of the enlarged eyes of Alita does create a distinction to the character which pays off, however the CGI used to create the rest of her body can sometimes make the character look way too animated and severely out of place, which for me pulled me out of a story that was struggling to reel me in in the first place. This only occurs in stationary shots and has no impact on the effectiveness of the battle scenes that really do make Alita appear like the typical but cool cyborg badass. Her character development throughout the film also provides a subtle likeability to the heroine, as she becomes more familiar and confident in her personality and infuses the dialogue with some much needed sass and excitement.
Okay So Now That’s The Good Stuff Over With, Let’s Proceed…
Now compared to James Cameron‘s previous work, it was with a complete and utter disappointment that within the first 10 minutes of the movie, the writing and dialogue was not only boring and dull, but cringeworthy. This then extended to the first 20 minutes, and then to the first half an hour, all the way up to 45 minutes of the movie; all that could be noticed was the shudderingly bad dialogue. The main perpetrator of this being in the character of Hugo, which when paired alongside the rather unconvincing acting by Keean Johnson, high hopes were definitely not instilled in the viewer from the beginning.
This was the catalyst for what I saw as the biggest issue with the movie: its immense tone problem. The terrible dialogue and awful one-liners that were not scattered but showered upon the movie could not be taken seriously by any adult audience; but the gore and intensity of some of the characters and action sequences does not warrant the movie being a family friendly film to allow smaller children to see. This is where the complication lies, the movie left itself with a tiny age bracket that may genuinely find all aspects of this film entertaining, which is not the recipe for success.
After hitting the 45 minute mark, I must admit that the story picked itself up and started going in a direction that seemed more interesting and orientated to actually taking the viewer somewhere. However, whilst riding on the back of the action sequences to keep the appeal afloat, this then falls flat again with the obvious expectations in the film that they will have a sequel to develop the story and characters.
By the end of the movie, it is soon realised that actually nothing has been achieved by barely any characters, and the questions that have been teased by the storyline have been answered partially but in no way satisfactorily. The amount of effort that was put into setting up the story for the availability to accommodate sequels should have been put into setting up investment in characters and a story that can stand on its own, without having to be supported by other movies.
Alita: Battle Angel: Conclusion
Now, I know that this review has not been particularly positive regarding Alita: Battle Angel, and I do genuinely think that is because of the high expectations that are created by not only the trailer but the attachment of James Cameron‘s name to the project. As a standalone movie, it does boast some brilliant action sequences that are worth watching, and if indeed it does achieve a sequel, then it could lead to a franchise that could be one of the better manga adaptations for the big screens.
An expectation of a wholesome story should not be in one’s head before booking a seat at the local cinema to see this, think of it more like part 1, to a potentially 2 or 3 part story. However, I suppose if people do not go see it then further parts will definitely not be made, as a $150-$200 million budget is riding on the hope that moviegoers will see the movie.
So, yes, maybe I would say see it, explore the parts of it that you do enjoy, as there will be something in it that will bring entertainment to you in some way, no matter how old you are. Perhaps the dialogue does not even appear out of place for you, or the setting up for a sequel excites you? I very much feel like Alita: Battle Angel is an audience divider, you either love it or hate it. So, I suggest you go find out, I suppose?
What are your thoughts on Alita: Battle Angel?
Alita: Battle Angel will be released in the U.S. on February 14th. For all international release dates, click here.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.